The Ice mage and the Ice queen
by Bob Bandicoot
Summary: It is the fourth day of the Grand Magic Games and Lamia Scale faces Mermaid Heel in the second match of the battle part. A kinda different approach in the fight between Lyon and Kagura and in their growing relationship after their match. Renamed from "Lyon vs Kagura" since it moves beyond their match. Lyon/Kagura pairing with a little bit of Gray/Erza
1. Lyon vs Kagura

**Author's note:**** This is an idea that came to me after watching the latest episode of the anime. I do not own Fairy Tail. **

**THE ICE MAGE AND THE ICE QUEEN  
**

**CHAPTER 1**

The morning sun shone brightly above the large, heavily crowded arena. The Grand Magic Games have reached the fourth day and the battle part had already started. Following a different concept from the previews days, the battles were now tag team battles, with each guild choosing a team of two mages for the fight. Blue Pegasus had already defeated Quatro Cerberus, with Ichiya of Blue Pegasus showing why he was called the ace of his guild by defeating both of his opponents by himself, in his own unique way. And while most people were eagerly waiting for the showdown between Fairy Tail and Sabretooth, they were also looking pretty excited for the current match between Lamia Scale and Mermaid Heel. The tag team fight featured Lyon and Yuka from Lamia Scale against Kagura and Millianna from Mermaid Heel. Even though the stoic, dark haired leader of the all female guild had left the fighting to her eager partner, the bubbly, brown haired girl found herself knocked out, mostly because of her over enthusiasm and carelessness. Kagura then re-entered the fight, defeating with ease the short, fuzzy browed mage despite his valiant effort. The fight had turned now into an one on one battle between Lamia Scale's second strongest mage and Mermaid Heel's strongest mage. The atmosphere in the arena seemed electrified with anticipation.

"Incredible! She has downed Yuka by not giving him a moment to retaliate! At last, it's just Kagura and Lyon! One on one!" the commentator of the Grand Magic Games yelled with excitement as the crowd roared enthusiastically. The teams of the rest of the guilds were watching the battle as well from their stands along with everyone else.

"She beat one of them down without even drawing her sword? Impressive" Laxus, the tall, blond haired, Lightning Dragon Slayer of Fairy Tail said, despite maintaining his usual calm expression, while watching the fight with the rest of his teammates.

"Yeah. Kagura is an expert with a sheathed sword" Erza commented with a serious expression.

"Maybe she would be a worthy opponent for my Iron Dragon Sword" Gazille said confidently as he laughed with his signature chuckle. Gray leaned on the clean wall as he remained back in the shadows with a calm expression on his face and said nothing, only simply turned his head towards the arena.

"Will Lyon be okay?" Chelia, the pretty, young, pink haired mage of Lamia Scale asked with some worry.

"Even though he had a hard time against Millianna, going one on one against Kagura…" her cousin Shery said uncertain, worried as well but was cut off by the old guild master of their guild.

"What? Lyon hasn't unleashed his true strength yet" Obaba, the old guild master of Lamia Scale said with certainty. "Lyon! No matter what, you'd better win! Show her your power!" she added with a loud voice as she kept spinning her finger even more intently.

"I've heard about you. You once went by the name Reitei. You attempted a dangerous ritual in order to fight Deliora" Kagura said as her hand leaned on her sheathed sword.

"That was a long time ago. Now, I'm just Lyon, a mage with Lamia Scale. Nothing more, nothing else" Lyon said simply, but with a hint of regret in his voice as he tried to sent those bad memories away. "But something about you reminds me of the way I used to be. Back then when I was driven by hatred and had lost sight of something important…" the silver haired mage continued with a serious expression as he eyed the dark haired girl in front of him, who had a seemingly stern expression on her face and remained unaffected by his words.

"Let me ask you something. Why didn't you attack Millianna directly? Did you hold back because she's a woman? Or just because you didn't want to reveal your strategy to me?" Kagura asked as she eyed the two unconscious mages.

"Who knows? Perhaps you'll find out when you fight me!" Lyon said with a smirk as he put his hands together and formed a seal. "Ice Make, Dragonfly!" he yelled as he created a number of ice made dragonflies that flew quickly against his opponent. Kagura easily evaded the ice made dragonflies and dashed against Lyon. Lyon scowled, put his hands together and got ready for another attack.

"Ice Make, Eagle!" he yelled as he created a large, ice made eagle and sent it against Kagura. The dark haired girl however, smashed through the ice made bird with her sheathed sword and landed a strong blow on Lyon with it, sending him crashing on the ground.

"Kagura really is strong! Is Lyon powerless to do anything?" the commentator said with a loud voice as Lyon tried to get back on his feet.

"What are you doing Lyon?!" the silver haired mage suddenly heard a loud, familiar voice and turned towards the stand where the Fairy Tail mages were watching. Gray was in front of his fellow guild members with an angry expression on his face.

"And you were Ur's disciple?! You are much stronger than that! Get your act together now!" the dark haired mage yelled with a mix of anger and encouragement in his voice. Lyon's eyes shot wide open as he saw his brother disciple. Memories from his teacher Ur came rushing to his mind and he clenched his fist.

"He's right! Show me what you really got, Lyon Vastia!" Kagura said decisively as she held her sword up with both hands and took her battle stance. Lyon looked at her and finally got back on his feet.

"Yeah. And we are running out of time" he said. "Gray is right, I must put my act together. Kagura is strong but most importantly, she's really fast. I need to change my strategy" Lyon thought as he got ready for his next move. "Ice Make, Snow Tiger!" he yelled as he created a large, ice made saber tooth tiger on his side. "Ice Make, Snow Ape!" he said again as he created a large, ice made ape on his other side."Ice Make, Snow Dragon!" he yelled once more as he created a huge, ice made dragon that appeared behind him. Kagura kept a straight face even though seemed slightly worried.

"I bet not even you will be able to escape this" Lyon said with a confident smirk as he sent his ice made creatures against his opponent. Kagura managed to evade all of them and landed on her feet.

"You can create all these at the same time?" she said with a hint of surprise. The ice made creatures attacked again and the dark haired girl once again leapt in the air in order to avoid them. "It doesn't matter how many times they attack. I'll evade them again and then smash them" she thought but she suddenly turned her head once she heard a small sound and felt a shadow above her. She saw that Lyon was right above her." When did he get there?" she thought stunned.

"I got you now! Ice Make, Wolf!" Lyon said as he surrounded his fist with a thick layer of ice that was shaped like a wolf and landed a hard blow on Kagura that sent her flying towards the ground. The mages of Mermaid Heel gasped in surprise as Lyon landed on his feet.

"What a move from Lyon! He actually managed to knock Kagura to the ground. What a comeback!" the announcer said enthusiastically.

"How did he get so high so quickly?" Kagura wondered as she scanned the arena for an answer, but she soon realized the answer as she saw a tall, ice made tower in the place where Lyon was standing. "I see, that's how. Pretty smart move" she thought as she got on her feet and turned towards Lyon. She also noticed the ice made saber tooth tiger, ape and dragon still around them.

"Are you okay? You can continue the fight, right?" Lyon asked honestly.

"Of course, it takes more than a simple punch to hold me down" Kagura said as she stared Lyon. "Why didn't you continue the attack?" she asked.

"Excuse me?" Lyon said slightly confused.

"When I fell on the ground, you could continue your attack by sending your animals against me. I might not be able to evade them this time. So why didn't you attack?" Kagura asked seriously. Lyon looked at her for a while with a serious expression as well.

"I didn't want to hurt you. This may be a match, but I wouldn't like to injure you or hurt you badly" he answered.

"So, you really are holding back because I'm a woman. I see you are underestimating me. Never mind, you had this one chance to get the advantage in this fight. Now you lost it and you will lose this match" Kagura said calmly but also with a hint of anger.

"I don't think so. It seems like you are the one who is underestimating me. You will not catch me off guard again" Lyon said confidently.

"We'll see about that" Kagura said as she put her hand on the hilt of her sword which started glowing red. A large, red seal appeared above the arena, which was surrounded in a red light and a strong force pushed Lyon along with his ice made creatures in the air.

"There it is, Kagura's ace in her sleeve. Gravity Change" Risley said smiling.

"But for Kagura to use Gravity Change. That Lyon must be one tough guy" Arania said.

"What power" Lyon thought as he was being pushed in the air, towards the large seal. He then saw Kagura charging forward and smashing his ice made creates with one swift move. "I better do something quick" the ice mage thought as Kagura attacked once again from above.

"It's over" she said as she attacked with her sheathed sword. The crowd held it's breath for a moment and so did some of the mages who were watching. Kagura widened slightly her eyes in surprise as Lyon had blocked her strike with an ice made sword.

"He, he, that was close" Lyon chuckled.

"So, I see that you managed to block my strike. I'm a little surprised that you actually managed to move in my Gravity Change" Kagura said calmly.

"Actually, I'm a little surprised myself. For a moment I thought I wasn't going to make it. So, shall we continue our fight while flying?" Lyon said with a smile. Kagura huffed and undid her magic, while at the same time kicked Lyon to the ground. Kagura then landed on her feet while Lyon got up as well.

"You're pretty tough" Kagura commented.

"Thank you. You're pretty strong too, Kagura-san. Now shall we continue this?" Lyon said as he held his ice made sword firmly and raised it.

"Of course" Kagura said calmly as she danced once again towards the ice mage. The two mages started a quick paced close battle, with Kagura attacking with her sheathed sword and Lyon blocking with his own ice made sword. But even though the ice made sword was well made, strong and hard enough to fight almost any sword, it was quickly shattered by Kagura's special sword. Lyon tripped backwards as his sword was smashed from Kagura's powerful strikes, but retained his balance and managed to dodge the next strike that aimed directly at him. Kagura continued with another strong strike but this time Lyon was able to grab the sheathed sword with both his hands and blocked the strike, even though it took considerable effort to stop the momentum of Kagura's moves. Lyon then quickly counter attacked by landing a hard blow on his opponent's face which send her flying backwards, but still remained on her feet.

"I am not feeling very comfortable with this" Lyon though with a hint of regret as he saw Kagura rubbing the side of her face with the back of her hand but still retaining her calm expression on her face. "But I can't hold back if I want to win this match. I'll make up for it latter" he thought as he put his hands together. "Ice Make, Snow Tiger!" he said as he sent another ice made saber tooth tiger against Kagura. Kagura managed to dodge the large, ice made charging animal and drove her sword to its side, shattering it. Lyon continued his attack again by creating a large ice made, spiky sphere that turned out to be a puffer fish and send it flying towards his opponent. Kagura was a little surprised by the mass of the ice made creature but once again smashed it with her sword.

"The fight is going back and forth! What a great match ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer yelled ecstatic as the crowd roared with enthusiasm.

"Hey, this Lyon guy has grown stronger!" Natsu said with some excitement.

"Of course he did, what did you expect? That's more like it!" Gray said with a smirk.

"Kagura-chan is having trouble?" Beth, the young, pig tailed girl of Mermaid Heel said surprised.

"I wouldn't say she's having trouble, but that Lyon guy sure is strong" Risley said.

"Yeah! Go Lyon!" Shelia cheered excitedly.

"And to think I was actually worried. Kagura really is strong, but this is Lyon we are talking about" Sherry said.

"See? I told you" Obaba added as she kept spinning her finger around.

"I see your attacks have gotten faster. But it's my turn now" Kagura said she charged her magic power. Her sword glowed red and she activated her Gravity Change once again, and Lyon found himself flying in the air.

"Not again. Is she going to attack the same way?" Lyon mumbled. Kagura then suddenly changed the gravity towards the opposite direction, causing Lyon to quickly crash down on the ground with force.

"What a hit! What the move from Kagura! Is Lyon out?" the announcer yelled into his microphone.

"It's over this time. I don't usually use magic like this but improvisation is part of a battle. You really are strong Lyon Vastia" Kagura said but stopped once she saw Lyon slowly getting up. "You can still move?!" she thought surprised.

"Ice Make, Geyser!" Lyon yelled as he slammed his hands on the ground before he got up, creating a number of large, spiky ice blocks that moved against Kagura, who barely managed to evade by leaping high in the air. Lyon smiled.

"Incoming!" he said as he kept his hands on the ground which started freezing. Kagura wondered what he was talking about when she noticed the ground under her crumbling and a large, ice made dragon broke through the ground and charged against her while she was still in midair. Kagura once again barely evaded the incoming dragon but not completely as she was still hit by the ice made dragon's side and fell a little clumsily on the ground. She quickly got up and noticed Lyon having a small smile on his face.

"Why are you smiling? Getting confident?" she asked.

"I am just enjoying a good match. Perhaps if you relaxed a little, you might also enjoy it" Lyon said.

"I don't have the time to enjoy a battle. I have other things that I need to focus on" Kagura said seriously. Lyon's smile faded away and was replaced by a frown.

"If you take everything so seriously, then why don't you unsheathe your sword? Why don't you go all out?" he said.

"This sword is for only one person. A hated enemy of mine. I will unsheathe it when I meet him. Besides, you don't want me to do this" Kagura said coldly.

"I see. It looks like your hatred for this person makes you lose sight of everything else. You really do remind me of how I used to be, and that is pretty sad. Fine then, I will snap you out of it, even if it is only for a while, only for this fight. It's about time I get more serious. More serious than I already was" Lyon said decisively as he started to charge his magic power, surrounding himself in a light blue aura and freezing the ground around him. He then lifted his arms and the atmosphere around them started to get chilly. White and blue ice crystals started flowing around them. Kagura's breath started forming a white puff of air.

"The temperature looks like it suddenly dropped around here folks! The arena seems like it's freezing!" the announcer said as he held his microphone tighter.

"So this is how it is when you get serious. Interesting. Let's finish this then" Kagura said as she started charging her magic power as well. The atmosphere around them started to become heavier and Lyon began to feel a strong force towards the ground.

"You are using your gravity magic again, aren't you? And this time it seems even heavier. It's a good thing that I'm starting to actually get used to that" Lyon said with a smirk.

"Do you really think you can withstand my Gravity Change? You really are confident" Kagura said.

"Heh, I admit it's pretty hard and it takes a while, but I think I'm starting to get to hand of it" Lyon said.

"Interesting. Let's see about that" Kagura said as she increased her pressure even more. Lyon groaned as he felt a stronger force and Kagura got ready to strike but suddenly she felt herself unable to move. "What's going on?" she said as she saw her feet almost frozen to the ground.

"You are not the only one who can immobilize your opponent. If you think you can hold me down with your gravity magic, then I can freeze you to your place. Actually, the increased pressure from your gravity magic increases my blizzard. And since neither of us seems able to move, then the win foes to the one who can strike from a distance, Kagura-san" Lyon said as he put his hands together and got ready to attack. "Ice Make, Eagle!" he said as he sent an ice made eagle towards his opponent. Kagura quickly undid her magic, managed to dodge the ice made eagle and charged forward against the ice mage, who was still trying to recover from the effects of her gravity magic, holding her sword with both hands. Lyon however, was able to get up just in time to block Kagura's attack, who also seemed a little slower than usual, by grabbing the sheathed sword with both of his hands. He then surrounded his hands with ice at the places where he was holding the sword in order to get a better grip.

"What are you doing?" Kagura said slightly confused.

"Holding you in place" Lyon said simply.

"Holding me in place?" Kagura said still confused but quickly realized what he meant as she turned her head and saw behind her the ice made eagle flying directly against her. Realizing what was about to happen, Kagura used a lot of force to leap in the air, taking Lyon along with her, and dodged the large eagle moments before it crashed on her. Instead it crashed on the ground where they were standing and the force of the impact caused to slightly spin in the air before Lyon released his grip from the sword, causing both of them to land on their feet. A loud sound from the gong was then heard, showing that the thirty minute time limit of the match had ended. Both of the mages got back on their feet slightly panting.

"And the time limit is over! The contest results in a draw! What a match!" the commentator said excited as the crowd cheered both the mages enthusiastically. Lyon sighed while Kagura just lowered her head with her usual calm expression on her face, turned her back and moved to leave the arena.

"Kagura-san, wait" Lyon called her. Kagura stopped and turned around slowly as Lyon moved towards her and raised his hand once he got in front of her.

"Good match" he said with a kind smile. Kagura stared at him for a moment before she finally raised her hand as well and shook his hand.

"Indeed, it was a good match. You fought well and honestly. I thank you for that" she said kindly. Lyon smiled even more.

"May I?" he said and then put his other hand on the back of Kagura's hand and gently turned it, so that the hand that he offered before was on top of Kagura's hand.

"What are you doing?" Kagura asked as she suddenly felt a chill on her palm.

"Relax, I just want to give you something" Lyon responded with a calm voice. "There, I'm done" he said as he removed his hand and Kagura saw a really well made ice rose on her hand. Her eyebrows raised slightly in surprise.

"What's this?" she said with a voice that showed mostly confusion rather than surprise.

"I believe it's a flower" Lyon said with a smile.

"I know that. Why are you giving this to me?" Kagura said simply.

"Well, to make up for the fight. Look I know that we were opponents" Lyon began quickly as he saw Kagura frowning irritated. "And honestly, you are one of the strongest opponents I've ever fought so far. If the time limit hadn't expired, I am not sure if I would win that match. But that doesn't change the fact that you are a woman. And women should be treated like that" Lyon continued with a smooth voice. Kagura didn't blush, or even smiled at that statement, but her expression was softened.

"You are speaking from your heart. You are a kind man, Lyon Vastia" she said. Lyon smiled kindly.

"Before we leave this arena, I want to tell you something last. A friendly advice, if you want. Don't lose yourself to your hatred" he said seriously. Kagura's eyes widened in surprise. "Hatred is like a poison and before you know it, it consumes you, it turns you into something bad and somehow, it always turns against you, and you lose sight of everything else. I know it's not easy, but whatever might have happened in the past, you should try to move forward. You can find comfort in your friends, they are the ones who can help you. Friends from your guild, or even other guilds" he said.

"You don't know what you are talking about. You don't know what I've been through or who I hate and why. So don't tell me stuff like letting go of my hate or moving forward. You don't know my pain. You don't know me" Kagura said slowly as she clenched her hands and for the first time Lyon noticed anger in her voice.

"You're right. I don't know your pain. But I have experienced pain in my life, I was consumed by anger and hate and I did bad things that now I have to live with. I have been in a bad place so I do know what I'm talking about. That's all I had to say, I got nothing more" Lyon said as he turned around. "I, for once, am happy that we got to talk like that Kagura-san. I guess I'll see you around" he said with one last smile as he made his way towards his partner who had started to get back on his feet. Kagura said nothing, turned around as well and walked towards Millianna who had gotten back on her feet and was dusting herself. As she made her way towards her teammate Kagura noticed that she was still holding the ice rose that Lyon gave her. "Why am I still holding that?" she wondered as she took a quick look at Lyon who was talking with his teammate. "Lyon Vastia. You really are a kind person" she thought as she continued her way. Millianna soon joined her.

"Kagura-chan, I am so sorry" she said as she walked behind her with a lowered head.

"You need to get stronger Millianna. I'll train you" Kagura said.

"Right! Hey Kagura-chan, what are you holding there?" Millianna said curiously as she noticed Kagura's hand.

"Nothing. Let's go join the others" Kagura said as she quickly put the ice flower in one of her pockets and moved towards the stand where her guild was standing.

**Author's note: ****There goes this one. After watching the episode with the fight between Lyon and Kagura I felt like it had the potential for something more. And this particular fight was actually skipped in the manga. One of the things that made Fairy Tail really good, in my opinion, was the fact that it didn't just focus in the main characters and it paid some more attention to other characters as well. I don't think that this really happens anymore and interesting characters like Lyon are being overlooked, or are just comedy relief characters. I will probably update one more chapter with the aftermath of the match and focus a little more on the developing relationship between Lyon and Kagura. See you next time!**


	2. An unexpected date

**Author's note: ****Hey everyone, the new chapter is up. I do not own Fairy Tail.**

**THE ICE MAGE AND THE ICE QUEEN**

**CHAPTER 2**

The battle part of the Grand Magic Games on the fourth day had reached its conclusion. The large arena was slowly getting empty as the crowd was leaving with a feeling of surprise and excitement about Fairy Tail's big win over Sabretooth. Among the people who were making their way out of the arena were also the teams of the participating magic guilds, others with a feeling of satisfaction and others were more disappointed.

"Those were some good battles. The first one with Blue Pegasus and Quatro Cerberus was, well, a little strange to say the least. But the other two were just fine" Risley said smiling.

"How are you feeling Kagura-chan? Your match was pretty hard" Millianna asked with some concern.

"I am feeling fine. And we were both in that match" Kagura said as she slightly pointed out the last words. Millianna rubbed the back of her head awkwardly.

"Well, yeah. But I was knocked out pretty quickly. You did most of the fighting" she said with a goofy smile.

"What do you mean you were knocked out? You fell head first on the wall all by yourself" Beth said.

"You don't have to point that out like this! But yeah, that's pretty much what I did" Millianna said with embarrassment as she lowered her head.

"Come on, don't feel that bad about it! You'll do better next time. You just need a little more practice" Risley said as she patted her back friendly.

"Still, for you Kagura to have such a hard time. That Lyon guy must be really something! Honestly, I was almost sure that you had him went you used your Gravity Change. I thought he was pretty strong since you had to use your magic, but I didn't expect him to actually block your attack!" Arania said impressed. "Not that this means that he is actually stronger than you" the green haired girl quickly added. Kagura didn't answer. In fact, she also thought that the match would be over when she used her magic. She had easily destroyed the ice made creatures that her opponent had created and she was rapidly coming back to finish him off. But instead of landing the finishing strike that would have given her the victory, Lyon not only managed to move in her altered gravity and turned to face her, but he was also fast enough to strike back. Instead of a surprised opponent she found a decisive one with a confident smile, his onyx black eyes looking directly into her own yellowish brown eyes, his hands holding firmly an ice made sword strong enough to block her own.

"Kagura-san here!" she suddenly heard a familiar voice that snapped her out of her reverie. She turned her towards the source of the voice, only to see the man who had been occupying her thoughts.

"Hey, it's that Lyon guy. Has he been waiting for us?" Arania said with wonder.

"May I talk to you for a while?" Lyon said with a smile. Kagura stared at him for a while.

"Sure" she answered eventually as she moved towards him with her teammates standing behind and exchanging surprised looks. "What is it?" she said as she stood in front of him.

"Well, um, how are? Are you feeling any better? You know, from our match?" Lyon asked.

"I am feeling just fine" Kagura said simply.

"Really? That's nice, I am still feeling a little winded" Lyon said with a small smile as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm sure you'll be okay in no time. And thank you for your concern. Is that all you wanted to tell me?" Kagura said politely but a little coldly.

"Actually no, that's not all. I was wondering, if you would like to take a walk with me. You know, walk around the city and perhaps getting a cup of coffee? What do you think?" Lyon said as he tried to keep his voice cool but failing to cover his slight stammering completely, or the light shade of red on his face. Kagura was also slightly surprised but she was able to hide it much better, instead she kept staring at Lyon for a little while, causing him to slightly shudder and feel like he was being scanned.

"This sounds good, but I am afraid that I don't know you well enough" she started.

"Well, then you'll get to know me better. And I will get to know you. That's the point" Lyon said with more confidence than before. Kagura kept silent for a moment.

"Okay then, if you insist. Just give me a moment" she said eventually as she turned around and walked towards her teammates, leaving Lyon the sigh deeply in relief and wipe out some small traces of sweat from his forehead with a tissue.

"What did he want Kagura-chan?" Risley asked once Kagura reached them.

"You guys can go back to our hotel room alone, right? I will take a small walk with Lyon Vastia" Kagura said and, as she expected, her teammates all gasped in surprise.

"What are you talking about? You mean that guy actually asked you out?!" Arania said stunned.

"How romantic! Kagura-chan is going on a date!" Millianna said with sparkling eyes as she held her hands together.

"I am surprised you are even interested in such things Kagura-chan" Beth commented.

"Calm down everyone. It's not a date. It's just, a friendly walk" Kagura said as she took a quick glance at the ice mage who was waiting patiently. "Don't get worried if I'm a little late. And try to stay out of trouble while I'm out" she continued as her eyes fell on Millianna who took an innocent expression."I'll see you guys in our hotel room later" she said as she walked towards the ice mage once again.

"Oh boy, what is that Lyon guy thinking?" Arania.

"I think it's nice for Kagura-chan to go out once in a while. She seems a little stressed at times and she is way too serious for her own good. She needs to relax a little" Risley said.

"Come on guys, let's do something fun too!" Millianna said excited as they continued their way out of the arena.

"So, I'm here. Shall we?" Kagura said once she reached Lyon.

"Of course. Ladies first" he said kindly with a gesture.

"That's very kind of you. I don't know where we are going though" Kagura said simply. Lyon's eyes shot wide open in surprise.

"Way to go you idiot!" he though as he face palmed mentally. "Aha, ha, yeah you're right! Well in that case follow me!" Lyon said as he tried to laugh his embarrassment away and started walking. Kagura shook her head in amusement and followed after him.

"This will probably be interesting" she thought as the two mages started walking side by side. "Where are we going?" the dark haired girl asked after a while as they made their way through the city.

"I heard about that coffee place which is supposed to be really good, so I thought we should check it out. No need to rush though, I would like to take a look at the city first. It's been a while since I've last been here" Lyon said as he scanned around the place.

"That's right, you didn't take part in the last tournament" Kagura said thoughtfully. "If I may ask, why was that? You are among your guild's strongest mages. So, why didn't you compete?" she asked.

"I didn't feel like it" Lyon said simply.

"You didn't feel like it? What's that supposed to mean? Don't you want to fight for your guild? For its pride? Don't you want to show how strong your guild is?" Kagura asked with some surprise. Lyon looked at her with a small smile.

"What is a strong guild? What's the purpose of a guild? A guild isn't supposed to be about strength! A guild is supposed to be about having fun and living an adventure! A place where mages get to know each other, make friends and form bonds. A place where they can feel safe and comfortable, a place where they can feel like at home. And what makes a guild truly strong? Is it only the number of powerful mages that it has, or is it also the power of the bonds that they share? Of course I love my guild, but I see no reason to show my strength or my guild's strength in some tournament. Take Sabretooth for example. They do have some strong mages but that's just about it. They don't have any bonds with each other, they barely care for each other. They are just some arrogant guild with a twisted, misguided idea for what real power is. Fairy Tail was the strongest guild, and I think it still is, but not only because of their strong mages. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Fairy Tail has a history, it has a tradition, but what really makes it great are the bonds that they share with each other" the silver haired mage said.

"I see. I think I understand what you mean" Kagura said thoughtfully.

"I knew you would understand. You also seem to care a great deal about your friends" Lyon said smiling.

"So what changed? Why did you come this year?" Kagura asked again.

"Oh, you know, our guild master. She really wants our guild to win this tournament so she insisted that both Jura-san and I be on the team this time" Lyon said laughing.

"Yeah, I noticed that she can be a little pushy" Kagura commented.

"What about your guild master? I don't think I've noticed her anywhere" Lyon said.

"That's because she didn't come, she remained in the guild. I am responsible for the team" Kagura said with some pride.

"She must really trust you. I am not sure if you also have a reserve though" Lyon said scratching his chin.

"You don't seem to have a reserve either" Kagura pointed out.

"That's not true. We have Sherry. Although I am not sure if she came along to actually take part in the tournament or just to cheer for that Ren guy" Lyon said narrowing his eyes in thought.

"That's sounds nice" Kagura said softly.

"Oh? I didn't take you for the romantic type" Lyon said with a hint of teasing. Kagura seemed to tense a little, like she just regretted her words or the way she sounded.

"Well, I am a girl" she said a little more intensely than normal.

"I know. And I'm happy that you decided to relax a little bit" Lyon said lightly. Kagura turned her head and saw that Lyon was watching her with a soft expression on his face. She felt herself calm down a little and sighed with her eyes closed.

"You know, I get that a lot. Especially from Risley and the other girls" the dark haired girl said.

"And they are right. No matter what may have happened in the past, even if you have your own reasons for acting this way, you should try and put that behind at some point" Lyon said. "Look I am not asking you to tell me about this, nor am I saying that you should change completely or do what others tell you" he continued a little awkwardly as he noticed Kagura shifting from side to side slightly uncomfortably.

"It's fine. I know what you mean. Don't get so stressed" she said in a calm voice as she saw Lyon getting nervous.

"Good. For a moment I thought I was saying too much" he sighed in relief. The two mages continued their walk with Lyon looking around the sights of the city.

"Are you afraid of me?" Kagura suddenly said.

"I beg your pardon?" Lyon said surprised, raising his eyebrows.

"Before, you were getting all nervous. Were you afraid that I would get angry or something?" Kagura said.

"No, of course not. I just thought that I crossed a line somewhere, or I was putting too much pressure in you. Of course, I am not afraid of you" Lyon said as he waved his hands reassuringly. "Unless, you want me to" he added with a nervous smile.

"Of course not. And I know that you meant well. It's just that, I get the feeling that people sometimes avoid me, or are even afraid of me" Kagura said.

"Well, you can be a little intimidating sometimes. But I think it's because those people don't know how nice you really are" Lyon said softly. "Maybe you could also try smiling once in a while" he added.

"Smile. I am not sure I even remember the last time I did that. I cannot smile, not yet" Kagura said as she clenched her sheathed sword. Lyon looked at her seriously.

"Well, you should! And I'm not talking about a smile with revenge. I am talking about an actual smile, heart filling and warm! I'm sure this will be quite a sight when it happens. And I would like to be there and watch you" the silver haired mage said.

"What do you mean?" Kagura said a little confused. Lyon stopped walking and turned towards Kagura who stopped as well and looked at him with some wonder.

"I am not really sure how to say this but, you are really cute Kagura-san. And I have a feeling that you would look even cuter if you smiled" Lyon said with a small smile as Kagura took a slightly surprised look.

"You find me cute? Why? What do you like about me?" she said as she crossed her arms and took a stern look. Lyon seemed surprised by her question. Kagura was cool and confident in her skills and in her attitude in general, so she should also be confident in the way she looked. So then why would she ask him that? Maybe she wanted to know his thoughts.

"Well, if you want to know in particular, everything! Your long, silky black hair, your pretty brown eyes which have a sparkle and a warmth despite your serious look, the way you move around with so much grace and elegance. And that cute white ribbon on your hair which makes you look so girly and absolutely adorable" Lyon said as he felt his face burning and getting redder with each word. Kagura's eyes widened, her expression seemed to soften and eventually she broke her gaze and looked towards the ground while fumbling with her long hair.

"You, really like my bow?" she said silently and Lyon was almost sure that he saw a light shade of pink gracing her face for the first time.

"I love it. Um, shall we continue?" he said softly.

"Sure" Kagura said in a lighter tone as they resumed their way. The two mages continued their walk in the large city with a comfortable silence between them. Kagura had regained her serious look but Lyon could see something different about her, like she seemed more relaxed and in a better mood. As she put a dark haired lock behind her ear, Kagura's other hand went towards her pocket and grabbed something inside it. Kagura took it out and saw with some surprise that it was the ice rose that Lyon had given her earlier, glowing in the sun.

"You kept it!" Lyon said with a mix of surprise and happiness.

"Well, I couldn't throw it away. It wouldn't be nice" Kagura said trying to sound typical. "I am a little surprised that it lasted so long. It's pretty warm" she added as she looked at it.

"Of course it did, what did you expect? It's not regular ice, it's magic ice! It can last for the entire day at least. And, I put some extra effort in this" the ice mage said.

"I see. It's beautiful, Lyon-san. I never properly thanked you for it so, thank you for your gift" the dark haired girl said kindly.

"You're welcome. It was my pleasure" Lyon said. Kagura admired it a little longer and lightly rubbed with her hand before she returned it to her pocket. Lyon continued his walk with his spirits lifted and kept looking around until he noticed someone waving at them and walking towards them, in a kinda strange way like he was tripping, a tall, muscular, dark haired man.

"Someone's coming our way. I think it's that Bacchus guy" Lyon said as he took a better look.

"Great" Kagura groaned.

"Hey guys! It's a beautiful day isn't it?" Bacchus said as he shook his flask.

"Morning Bacchus-san" Lyon greeted.

"Good to see you Bacchus" Kagura said politely.

"My, my Kagura you look as beautiful as ever. What do you say we go on a date?" Bacchus said as he took Kagura's hand with both his hands.

"I think I'll pass" Kagura said simply.

"Oh, come on! You are your guild's strongest, I am my guild's strongest. We are perfect for each other" Bacchus said lightly.

"I don't know if you have noticed Bacchus-san, but the lady is being escorted" Lyon said as he stepped forward. Bacchus looked at him like he just noticed him and then he started laughing.

"Ha, ha, sorry, sorry! I didn't realize that you two were already on a date! Nice going there little Lyon!" he said as he patted Lyon on his head.

"Gee thanks" Lyon said with a frown.

"Well, I suppose I'll be on my way then, I think I need a refill anyway. Have fun you two" Bacchus said with a wide smile as he continued his way slightly tripping, leaving Lyon slightly flushed and Kagura looking away and avoiding his gaze.

"Well, he is not that bad. Once you get used to him. And to the fact that he is drunk half the day" Lyon said lightly as they continued their way.

"I guess. He looks in a really good mood considering how his guild is doing in the tournament" Kagura said simply.

"Yeah, he does have a possible attitude in general. Listen, about that thing that he said, about us being on a date" Lyon started saying.

"It's a little funny actually. My teammates said the same thing when I told them that we were going out. Now that I think about it, it does kinda look like a date, don't you agree?" Kagura said softly as she turned her head towards Lyon. The silver haired mage smiled.

"Okay then, it's a date! And we decided that it's a date while we were already in the middle of it" he said with a laugh. Kagura's lips twitched like she was holding back a laugh.

"Hey, I saw that!" Lyon said.

"What? What could you possibly be talking about?" Kagura said with an innocent tone in her voice.

"I saw you! You nearly smiled!" Lyon said with enthusiasm.

"No, I didn't! You saw nothing" Kagura insisted.

"Yes, I did! Oh, is that how you want to play it, huh? Okay then miss, I bet that by the end of the day I will have made you laugh, or at least smile!" Lyon said decisively.

"There we go with the bets again! And that's a pretty big bet you are taking there" Kagura said with some amusement.

"Maybe, but I know I can do it. Even if I'll have to tickle you" Lyon said smiling.

"Hey, no tickling! That's cheating" Kagura said.

"Fine then, I'll think of something else. Hey, that coffee place that I was talking about is just a little down the way. We'll be there in a while" Lyon said as the two of them continued their way and soon reached the coffee shop. As they got up the stairs, Lyon noticed a familiar figure standing against the white bars of the shop's balcony with his hands in his pockets. After taking a closer look he saw that it was a dark haired young man, dressed in a white jacket and dark blue trousers.

"Hey Gray" Lyon greeted casually as they moved closer. Gray who seemed to be dozing off turned towards them.

"Oh, Lyon. And you are, that girl from Mermaid Heel, Kagura right?" Gray said.

"Very nice Gray. A smooth talker like always" Lyon mumbled.

"Nice to meet you Gray-san" Kagura greeted politely.

"What are you guys doing together? Are you two on a date or something?" Gray said as he eyed both mages.

"Something like that" Lyon said.

"What about Juvia?" Gray asked. Kagura turned her head slightly and watched Lyon as she waited for his answer with curiosity.

"Well, now that I think about it, maybe I was overreacting a little bit. Juvia really is a lovely and wonderful girl, but perhaps my behavior was a little excessive. I am not sure how much she liked me anyway" Lyon said as he rubbed the back of his head with a small smile.

"Good thing you finally realized" Gray mumbled.

"Oh, is that so? So what about you Gray? What are doing here? Are you also waiting for someone?" Lyon said with a smile.

"Well, actually I do" Gray started saying but was interrupted once the coffee shop's door opened and a beautiful young woman with long, red hair and dressed in a silver coloured armor and a blue skirt came out. She was holding an opened small, carton box on her one hand, a plastic fork on her other hand and had had a big, happy smile on her face.

"There she is. Hey Erza, did you get your cake?" Gray said. Erza nodded happily and took a bite from her cake with her plastic fork until she noticed the other two mages.

"Lyon and Kagura?" she said with a wondered expression.

"Good afternoon Erza-san" Lyon greeted.

"Good to see you, Erza-san" Kagura greeted as she nodded with a serious expression on her face and then her eyes fell on her holding box. "Is that cake?" she asked.

"Yes, strawberry cake" Erza responded as Kagura's eyes remained on fixed on the cake for a while.

"Does this place also have chocolate cake?" she asked.

"Of course! It has all kinds of cakes!" Erza said happily.

"I don't know why, but for some reason I feel like I'm looking in the mirror" Gray said.

"Anyway we were thinking about getting a cup of coffee. Or cake, apparently. Are you guys coming?" Lyon said.

"Nah, we just came for Erza's cake. She has been asking for it ever since she learned that this place has the best cakes in town. Maybe we'll catch you guys later. Are you ready Erza?" Gray said. Erza nodded while still enjoying her treat. "Okay then, see you guys later. Come on cake eater" Gray said but he immediately seemed to regret it.

"Cake eater?!" Erza said confused.

"Yeah, sorry about that. It's that that I'm used to exchanging names with flame brain. I didn't mean to offend you" Gray said as he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"It's fine Gray. Don't worry about it" Erza said with a smile as she took another bite from her cake.

"You actually look kinda cute, when you eat your cakes" Gray mumbled silently.

"Did you say something?" Erza said.

"No, nothing" Gray said quickly as the Fairy Tail mages went down the stairs and continued their way. Lyon moved towards the coffee shop and held the door open.

"Ladies first" he said with a smile.

"How kind of you. At least this time you used it right" Kagura said in a cool way with a small smirk as she got inside the coffee place with Lyon following behind her with a wide smile.

**Author's note: ****There goes this chapter. This one had a little less action than the last one, but that makes sense since the last one focused more on their match, and had a little more romance. I also thought about changing the title of the story since it I thought about moving it beyond their match and try and build on a friendly, at first and then possibly romantic, relationship between Lyon and Kagura since I think that a relationship with these two has so much potential and looks really interesting. See you next time everyone!**


	3. Cakes, autographs and flowers

**Author's note:**** Greetings everyone, the new chapter is up and running! Once again, I do not own Fairy Tail.**

**THE ICE MAGE AND THE ICE QUEEN**

**CHAPTER 3**

The two mages got inside the coffee shop and looked around. The room was pretty spacious, well lighted and it had a nice, cozy atmosphere. There were several brown, wooden tables, some bigger ones for four or five people and some smaller ones for two people, and most of them were already occupied since the shop seemed pretty crowded.

"This is actually a pretty nice place" Lyon said and Kagura nodded in agreement. The two mages made their way through the coffee shop and chose to sit at a small table near a window, next to the balcony. Lyon sat on the chair and started looking around while slightly tapping his fingers on the wooden table while Kagura reached for the menu which was placed on the table and started scanning the catalogue.

"Did you find anything interesting?" Lyon said with a smile.

"Perhaps. It does have quite a large variety" Kagura said from behind the catalogue. After a while a young waitress came towards them holding her tray.

"Good morning, welcome to our café! May I have your order?" she said with a bright smile as she put on the table a jug of water and two glasses and then she gasped in surprise once Kagura left the menu down and looked towards her. "I knew it! I thought I recognized you when you came in but I wasn't sure. But it really is you, Kagura-san! You're so cool!" she said excited.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you" Kagura said calmly.

"And you are Lyon-san! How exciting! How wonderful to have both of you here! Your match was so awesome!" the young girl said with sparkling eyes.

"Heh, thanks! Always glad to meet a fan" Lyon said rubbing the back of his head a little awkwardly.

"This is just great! So, what can I get you?" the waitress said smiling.

"I would like this chocolate cake, with the wiped cream on top. And some extra cherry syrup, please" Kagura said.

"That's an excellent choice! And what about you, Lyon-san?" the waitress asked as she turned towards the silver haired mage.

"I'll have an ice-tea, peach please" Lyon said with a smile.

"Alright then, I'll be right back with your orders" the young girl said but before she left, she turned towards Kagura. "Um, Kagura-san, would you mind, signing me this autograph?" she said with a small blush as she gave her a photo with slightly trembling hands.

"Sure" Kagura said a little surprised but politely and signed the autograph.

"Thank you so much Kagura-san, you're the best" the young girl said excited as she left.

"That was really nice of you. You sure know how to treat your fans" Lyon said.

"I couldn't say no to her, she was really sweet. Besides, this doesn't happen as often as you think" Kagura said.

"Really? Your guild is pretty popular" Lyon said.

"So is yours" Kagura said simply. At that moment the door of the café opened and Lyon and Kagura haired laughs and some familiar voices. They turned around to see the newcomers and they noticed a handsome young man with long, brown, spiky hair, dressed in a dark blue vest and pants and a light colored shirt and a pretty girl with long, blond hair tied in a ponytail, dressed in a pink dress that showed off her curvy figure.

"It looks like this place is actually pretty popular. There's Hibiki and Jenny" Lyon said with a smile. The mages spotted them and waved happily as they moved towards them.

"Lyon-san and Kagura-san! What a surprise to see you here" Hibiki said smiling.

"Good morning Hibiki-san, Jenny-san" Lyon greeted.

"What are you guys doing here together? Are you on a date? It's good to see you Kagura going out once in a while" Jenny said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagura said a little annoyed.

"Nothing. I'm just saying that's it's good to see you enjoying yourself! You seem a little bit tensed most of the time. Maybe going out on a date will help you relax a little" Jenny said honestly.

"Now, now Jenny, don't jump into conclusions! Perhaps these two just went out for a friendly walk after that hard match that they had. Great match by the way!" Hibiki said.

"Thank you Hibiki-san, that's very kind of you" Kagura said.

"Seriously now, I wouldn't like to stand against you in a match Kagura-san. I wouldn't mind sitting beside in dinner though" Hibiki said with a flirty smile but heard someone coughing behind him.

"Perhaps we should leave the two of you alone then. How about I change you for Lyon-san?" Jenny said slightly annoyed as she tapped her foot on the floor.

"Oops. He, heh, come on now Jenny, you know I was just kidding" Hibiki said a little nervously.

"Don't be like that Jenny-san, you know Hibiki-san was just being nice" Lyon said trying to withhold his laugh.

"Exactly! Besides, I don't think that I'm actually Kagura-san's type" Hibiki said relieved by Lyon's support.

"No, not really. I'm not interested in playboys" Kagura said simply.

"Thanks Kagura-san" Hibiki said.

"Hmph! Whatever, let's just go get a table. Nice seeing you guys" Jenny greeted them as she moved towards an empty table. Hibiki wiped his forehead and sighed in relief.

"Well, that went all right! See you guys later" he said as he followed Jenny to the table. Lyon couldn't help himself and laughed silently.

"That was fun" Kagura said lightly.

"Here are your orders! Chocolate cake with extra syrup for the super cool Kagura-san and ice-tea for Lyon-san. And these brownies are on the house! Enjoy!" the young girl said with a bright smile.

"Thank you" Kagura said as the young girl smiled again and left. Lyon took a look at the brownies.

"These look pretty good. How nice of them to treat us. And it looks like that girl found some more of her favorite mages" Lyon said as the young girl seemed once again over excited taking the orders of Hibiki and Jenny. Kagura simply nodded and focused on her cake as she took a bite from her fork. Lyon watched as Kagura's face took an expression of complete bliss and happiness, but somehow she still didn't smile. "How's the cake?" he asked.

"Exquisite! I guess Erza was right, this place really has the best cakes in town" Kagura said.

"I didn't know you liked cakes that much" Lyon said as he took a sip from his drink.

"Of course! Who doesn't?" Kagura said simply.

"Well, let's just say that I haven't seen many people as excited as you about it. Maybe if I had brought some cake in our match, it might have gone smoother" Lyon said with a laugh.

"I like cake, but this is not enough to take my focus out of a fight" Kagura said a little more serious than she intended.

"I know, I know. I was just kidding" Lyon said lightly.

"Yeah, I realized that. Sorry if I sounded too steep" Kagura said with a hint of regret.

"It's fine, don't worry about it" Lyon said with a smile and then he noticed something. "Kagura-san, you got something here" he said as he pointed at the side of his mouth.

"What? Where?" Kagura said.

"Next to your mouth. Here, let me wipe it for you" Lyon said as he reached his hand and gently wiped a small trace of cream on the side of Kagura's mouth, his thump lightly brushing her soft lips. Lyon suddenly froze in his place, realizing how close he was and quickly sat back on his chair with a deep shade of red on his face. Some giggles were heard from across the room and Lyon saw with the side of his eyes Hibiki holding hands with Jenny and leaning really close to her. "Damn playboy! How does he do it?" he thought a little annoyed. He turned towards Kagura again.

"It's fine, I got it" he said trying to avoid her gaze.

"Yeah, thank you" Kagura said silently, a light shade of pink gracing her features as she took another bite from her cake. Lyon noticed her blushing and continued his drink with a small smile.

* * *

"So, what do you think Lyon and Kagura were doing together?" Erza said as she took a bite from her cake. The two mages were sitting on a bench in a small park with tall green trees which caused a nice breeze flow through them.

"I don't know" Gray said shrugging. "When I asked him if they were on a date, he told me that they kinda were. At first I thought that he was joking like I was, but now that I think about it, he didn't seem like he was joking. So, could they actually be on a date? I mean, they barely know each other" he continued with some wonder. Erza seemed to blush at the idea.

"It doesn't sound that unlikely. They seemed pretty nice to each other in their match. And it was a really good match" she said.

"Yeah, it's been a while since I've last seen him getting serious in a battle. That guy has actually grown pretty strong, as I expected him to be. It would be interesting to fight him again" he said with a grin as he folded his arms. "What about you Erza? Are you thinking about having a match with Kagura?" he said as he turned his head towards Erza. Erza didn't answer at once, instead she remained silent for a while.

"I think, I will have to fight her, eventually" she said slowly, with a serious expression on her face.

"Hey, what's wrong? Has, something happened, between the two of you?" Gray asked with concern. Erza looked at him with a sad smile and shook her head.

"No, not really. It just that" she stopped and sighed. "It's something from the past, even though I'm not really sure what" she said thoughtfully.

"Look, if you don't want to talk about this right now, that's fine. But, you know you can talk to me about anything, right? I'm here for you" Gray said with a soft voice as he looked Erza in her eyes.

"I know Gray, thank you. I'll tell you later about it, okay? Now let's just enjoy our walk" Erza said with a lighter voice.

"Agreed. And since I'm the one who brought you down, I must be the one who will have to cheer you up again. Here" Gray said as he took a bite from Erza's cake with the plastic fork and held it in front of her.

"What, what are you doing?" Erza said surprised, with flushed cheeks.

"What's the matter? Some cake should cheer you up, right?" the dark haired mage said slightly confused.

"Yeah, that's right" Erza stammered as she leaned forward and took the bite, still blushing.

"There! Are you feeling better now?" Gray said with smile as Erza nodded, smiling happily. "She looks so cute when she is smiling like that!" he thought but then he suddenly tensed once realization struck him. "What am I doing?! Did I just feed Erza? I just fed Erza? What am I thinking? Isn't that what people are supposed to do when they are like, a couple? Oh come on Gray, you're just being paranoid. It doesn't really mean anything, right? It's just a friendly gesture, right?" Gray continued his thoughts with some relief as a group of girls passed in front of them at that moment.

"Look girls! He is feeding her! How romantic!" one of the young girls said with excitement.

"Aww, what a cute couple! If only I had a boyfriend like that" another one of the girls said as all of them sighed and continued their way. Gray froze in his place. He felt a burning sensation slowly starting from his cheeks and then spreading to his whole face, from his chin to the top of his forehead, and he was sure that there must have been steam coming from the top of his head, while Erza kept her gaze to her feet, a shade of red evident on her face. After a few moments Gray left the plastic fork on the box and rubbed the back of his head a little awkwardly.

"Look, don't listen to those girls. They are just, imagining things and see couples everywhere" he said.

"It's fine. I don't really mind" Erza said silently as she took another bite from her sweet. Gray looked at her with some surprise but Erza didn't seem to notice.

"She doesn't mind?! Really?" he thought and he found himself inwardly smile at the idea. "What are you thinking Gray?" he thought again as he shook his head quickly.

"You want some?" Erza said as she held up the fork.

"What? No, no thank you. It's all yours. Hey Erza, there's something that I wanted to ask you" Gray said.

"Yes? What is it?" Erza said a little curiously.

"Last day on the event part, why did you take all those monsters by yourself?" Gray asked seriously. Erza seemed a little surprised by the question.

"Well, I did it to make sure that we would get the first place" she said.

"Really? Because if I remember correctly, and I think I do, the first place went to the one who would destroy the most monsters. So technically, all you had to do was to destroy a little more than half of them, right? You didn't have to take all of them" Gray said.

"I was trying to make a point. I don't get it Gray, why are asking me all this?" Erza asked a little confused.

"Because I was worried, okay?" Gray said a little sharply. "I was worried. I know that it seemed like I was laughing at first and I was all confident and stuff, but I was actually pretty worried and anxious. And it's not only that, you also got hurt" he continued with a softer voice.

"It's fine Gray, it wasn't as bad as it looked. I'm fine now, aren't I?" Erza said in a reassuring voice as she opened her arms to show that she was fine.

"Well yeah, and that's a really good thing. And I know that you are strong and you can take care of yourself, but still. You are my comrade, my friend. No, you are more than just a very close friend, you are, Erza! I will always care for you. You know what I mean, right?" Gray said as he stared Erza directly into her eyes, her warm, chocolate brown orbs meeting with his dark blue ones.

"Yes, I know. Thank you Gray" Erza said softly as she returned his gaze, smiling warmly. She then moved her gaze towards her hand which rested on her thigh and Gray followed it, only to realize that his hand had moved like on its one and rested above Erza's hand. The dark haired mage chuckled and slowly pulled it away.

"It's a little funny actually. You are saying that Natsu and I are reckless. Like you are any better" Gray said with a smile.

"I guess. But I think you would have done the same if you were in my place, wouldn't you?" Erza said.

"Maybe, I don't know. Yeah, I think I would" Gray said after Erza gave him a knowing look. "But at least, I would be able to freeze all of them at once along with half the building. Perhaps you are stronger, I repeat perhaps, but I think can hit more targets at once. Besides, I have yet to actually show my new power" Gray said confidently.

"You may have a point" Erza said smiling as she finished her sweet.

"You are finally done? Do you want to go for a walk or do you want to go back and get another one. We may find Lyon and Kagura still there" Gray said with a smile.

"No, I think I'm fine for the moment. Let's just go for a walk" Erza said as they got up and made their way in the large city. Erza started walking smiling contently while Gray walked beside her with hands in his pockets thinking about their small conversation and mostly about those new feelings that he experienced at certain points. Gray considered Erza to be one of his closest and most dear friends. They were teammates and they knew each other since they were kids. But he had to admit that at some moments, he caught himself thinking Erza in a slightly different way. She was kind, smart, gentle, caring and there was no arguing that she was absolutely beautiful. And when Gray was next to her, he felt all sorts of warm feelings, he felt happy and he was sure that Erza must have felt in a similar way when she was around him. Gray looked at Erza with a small smile and she turned her head and smiled back, a warm expression adoring her pretty face like she could through his mind and stare into his very heart.

"Is everything okay Gray?" she said with a soft voice.

"Yeah, everything is fine" Gray said simply as the two mages continued their walk.

* * *

Lyon and Kagura made their way in the city after leaving the café, with Lyon chuckling lightly and Kagura looking at him slightly annoyed.

"Why are you laughing? What's so funny?" she asked after a while.

"Nothing, it's just that, I was thinking that this must be the most embarrassed I've ever seen you so far, back in the café. You ended up signing autographs for three more, overexcited waitresses. Are you sure your hand isn't tired?" Lyon said still laughing.

"Very funny. I told you before, this doesn't happen very often and I was surprised. That was actually quite unexpected. Anyway, it's not like I signed as much autographs as Hibiki and Jenny. Now that I think about it, you are the one who didn't sign that many" Kagura said.

"Oh well, that's fine. I don't really mind. You know, you could try smiling a little bit when you took a picture with them" Lyon said slyly.

"Even if I did, you wouldn't have made me smile so the bet wouldn't count" Kagura said with a smirk.

"I was holding the camera" Lyon reminded her.

"That doesn't really mean anything. Which reminds me, we still haven't decided the results of our little bet. What happens if you win?" Kagura asked as she folded her arms.

"I don't know, I haven't really thought about it yet. But I think I told you already, just seeing you smile would be more than enough for me" Lyon said smoothly as Kagura simply shook her head in amusement. "So, how about you?" he asked.

"I am not sure yet. Perhaps, I'll make you spend an entire day with Millianna" Kagura said thoughtfully.

"Well, this doesn't sound that bad. She seems pretty nice and fun" Lyon started saying.

"In a cat shop" Kagura added with a smirk.

"Oh! That should do it" Lyon said slightly sweating as he remembered the girl's excitement, to say the least, about cats.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Kagura asked.

"Well, I guess we could go back our hotel rooms. Or, we could simply continue our walk" Lyon said lightly. Kagura looked at him for a moment.

"Are you planning on spending the entire day with me, Lyon Vastia?" she asked smoothly as she tilted her head slightly to the side.

"I don't see why not. I really like your company. Unless, you want to leave?" Lyon said, slightly raising an eyebrow. Kagura shook her head.

"Not really, I'm actually having a pretty good time. I find your company quite pleasurable. What's on your mind then? Where do we go next?" she said. Lyon was way happier than he let out after hearing Kagura's response, so it took him a minute to answer as he tried to calm himself down.

"We could go to the park of the city. I've heard that it's really big and it looks like a small forest at some parts while it reminds of a garden at some other parts. I think a walk there will be pretty refreshing, what do you say?" the silver haired mage said.

"I think, I know which park you are talking about. Sounds like a good idea. Let's go" Kagura said simply. The two mages continued their walk through the city, passing by the tall buildings until they reached the park. Both of them stood in amazement for a moment after they sighted the scenery in front of them. The park was really large, as large as the eye could see. There was a long, central paved path that spread into other, smaller ones that seemed to cover the entire field, making it easy to find your way. There were also some small, stone bridges that went over a small, clear river that went through most of the park. The grass was green and fresh, there were also tall trees in some areas providing a cool shade and making it pleasant place to lie down, while some areas seemed more open and had colorful flowers planted. In addition, there were also several wooden, brown benches where people rested from their walks or their daily activities. Kagura close her eyes, took a deep breath and sighed in content as she inhaled the fresh air filled with the scent of the grass, the trees and the flowers.

"I see you like this place" Lyon said with a smile.

"I've forgotten how nice and relaxing this place is" Kagura said calmly. The two mages continued their walk in the large park, enjoying the sight around them until they noticed a particularly pretty picture. Two pretty, young girls, one of them with long, dark blue hair dressed in a colorful dress and the other one with pink hair tied in two short pigtails and dressed in a blue dress and a sleeveless pink shirt, were standing at one of the gardens, one kneeling and the other one standing near her, and admired the flowers.

"Hey, Chelia-chan, try these ones" the blue haired said as she pointed at some white flowers. The pink haired girl kneeled beside her, took a deep breath from the pointed flowers and smiled happily.

"This smells wonderful, Wendy-chan! You were right, this place is beautiful" she said excited.

"I knew you would like it, Chelia-chan! I've wanted to come to this place for a while now" Wendy said.

"I can see why. And this is one of the few special spots where people are actually allowed to pick up a few flowers" Chelia said as she picked a yellow flower and smelled it. "For you, Wendy-chan!" she said with a bright smile as she offered it to the blue haired girl. Wendy took it and smelled it with a slight blush.

"Thank you Chelia-chan" she said smiling.

"Hey Chelia, Wendy-san" Lyon greeted as he and Kagura moved closer to the young girls. The two girls looked up and smiled happily.

"Hi Lyon" Chelia said cheerfully.

"Hello Lyon-san, Kagura-san" Wendy greeted.

"Good afternoon Chelia-san, Wendy-san" Kagura said politely.

"What are you two girls doing here?" Lyon said.

"It's a nice day so Wendy-chan and I decided to come here for a nice walk and admire the flowers! Wendy-chan always has the best ideas!" Chelia said proudly as Wendy blushed once again.

"You are overreacting a little bit Chelia-chan" the blue haired girl said shyly.

"Aww, Wendy-chan is being shy as always" Chelia said cheerfully as she patted her on the back. Kagura looked at the two girls with a soft expression.

"I remember the match that the two of you had the other day. You are both much stronger than you look and you both fought with pride, heart and honor. I applaud you both" she said seriously. It was Chelia's turn to blush along with Wendy as they both looked at different directions.

"Thank you Kagura-san, that's really nice of you" both of them mumbled as they rubbed the back of their heads awkwardly.

"Yeah, you were both great. Well done!" Lyon praised them as well.

"Thank you Lyon! But you were great too! Um, you were pretty amazing too, Kagura-san! Your match was awesome!" Chelia said with a wide smile and Wendy nodded lively in agreement.

"That's very kind of you. You know, we could use both of you in our guild. There is room for you, if you are interested" Kagura said as she folded her arms.

"Eh?!" both of the girls exclaimed, slightly shocked from the sudden proposition.

"Now, now Kagura-san, don't go around stealing members from other guilds. Chelia is part our guild. And I don't think that even you would like to face an angry Fairy Tail if you take Wendy" the silver haired mage said lightly.

"I know, I was just joking" Kagura said.

"Oh, so this is how you look when you are joking. Sorry, I didn't get it" Lyon commented.

"Hmph, well excuse me, if I'm too serious for you" Kagura said seemingly annoyed and with a serious expression, but her voice had a light tone and caused the two girls two laugh.

"Hey, what are all those people doing there?" Lyon said as he noticed a group of people moving towards a spot in the park.

"I am not sure, but it looks like quite a commotion" Kagura said.

"Oh, this? Well, we heard that a festival is being held in the park! There will be all kinds of fun activities!" Wendy said with excitement.

"This is another one of the reasons why we came here. Wendy-chan and I are planning to visit it at some point, after we are done visiting some other flowery spots" Chelia said.

"That seems interesting. How about we go and check it out?" Lyon said as he turned towards Kagura.

"Sure, sounds like fun" Kagura said.

"Okay then, we'll see you girls later" Lyon said as he waved at the two girls and moved along with Kagura towards the place where the festival would be held in the park.

**Author's note: ****Well, t****here goes another chapter. I think I added a little bit of Gray and Erza in the last chapter so I thought about focusing a little more on this pairing in this chapter, since I think it kinda fits into the story and it's also one of my favorite pairings. There's also a chance that it may take me a while to upload the next chapter since I may be a little busy with my school, but I will update eventually. Anyway, thanks for reading and I would really like to know about your thoughts and opinions on the story. See you guys next time! **


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